He was Haida's instructor during her preparatory period, known for his eccentric personality and difficulty in getting along with. He currently manages the "Church of Silence," the Secrets-Hunter branch in Dorelton Town, a clerical position.
His old injuries were too severe and have become chronic. Thus, he cannot handle high-intensity hunting missions. Otherwise, given his skill and seniority, he would likely have been promoted to Burial Court Director.
Just as Haida was about to speak, Naur abruptly and without warning drew the pistol at his waist, instantly leveling its muzzle at her.
But Haida was even faster!
Before the firearm could be properly aimed at her, she had already drawn two wooden-handled folding knives from the side of her nun's habit, placing them against his throat and wrist.
Cutting the throat was for a lethal strike, while striking the wrist was to interfere with the shot. The entire movement was executed seamlessly, completed in the blink of an eye.
To be able to eliminate the target's threat while severing its head was a perfect close-quarters suppression.
"Hmph."
With the blade at his neck, a faint smile appeared on Naur's scarred face.
"Not bad. Your skills have indeed improved considerably compared to two years ago. It seems the rumors about you hunting the High Priest weren't 'artistic embellishment.'"
"Just fulfilling my duties."
Haida put away her folding knives, responding with reserve and indifference.
She knew Naur's habits well. Back when he was an instructor, this guy loved making dangerous moves like this. Almost every former trainee who saw him again would receive such a "greeting."
"Heh, told you you wouldn't believe it. Had to go lose face yourself."
"Her final examiner for the Chief position was Butler from the Abyssal Sea Division. Do you really think that guy would go easy?"
Black Banyan laughed with a hint of schadenfreude from the side.
Although his tone sounded as seasoned as a veteran hunter, his appearance as a young boy made it hard to take him seriously.
Black Banyan had been stationed at Dorelton's Church of Silence recently, hence he was one of the hosts for this trip.
"Just testing her mettle. I simply don't want my students to become parasites within the Cult. The reason the Loredon branch was destroyed was precisely because those fools accepted the money and titles promised by Duke Enstein."
After bickering with Black Banyan for a moment, Naur didn't dwell on this minor episode either.
He handed Haida an eye-shaped secret key, used to unlock the sealing ritual around the perimeter of the Book Repository ruins.
"With a Child of the Whiskered Tree present, I assume you won't need a guide. Remember, safety is paramount within the ruins."
After instructing Haida, he began handling some other matters with the Error-Purgers from the White Cup Cult.
The Secrets-Hunters stationed outside the ruins served not only as guides but also as a safety measure. If a truly catastrophic change occurred within the ruins, they would, as a last resort, detonate the explosives left in place, burying everything in rubble.
Soon, all preparations were complete.
After walking for nearly half an hour, the members of the exploration team entered the deep forest behind Dorelton Town.
It was a lush, deep, and secluded woodland.
The branches of the trees were gnarled and twisted, countless creamy-white aerial roots hanging down from among the leaves like a curtain woven purely from plants.
They were all banyan trees, and all from the same individual.
Banyans are a typical southern tree species, preferring temperatures above 15 degrees Celsius. Given Dorelton's near-freezing temperatures, it should struggle to survive, yet it not only lived but thrived, lush and vigorous...
Undoubtedly, that Book Repository ruin was nourishing it in some way.
The two Children of the Whiskered Tree walked at the front of the group. The hanging roots of the banyan trees would sway aside on their own as they approached, creating a path to walk through.
Besides facilitating progress, this was also a form of surveillance. If they made any unusual moves, the people behind could take immediate measures.
After about halfway through, a trace of weariness appeared in Fran's amber eyes. Clearly, she didn't much enjoy this prolonged, high-intensity trek through the woods. But the ruins were currently sealed, and the Mist Within the Door couldn't be entered for now... she could only endure it a little longer.
Elsa, on the other hand, was full of enthusiasm, even having the energy to catch some insect specimens along the way.
"We're here."
Albert pushed aside the aerial roots and dust, revealing a massive door formed by dozens of intertwined banyan trees.
It was currently still sealed under the Secrets-Hunters' third-category ritual [Secret of Stasis], surrounded by chains cast from brass.
As Haida inserted the secret key into the lock mechanism, the joints of the chains, which were already covered in dust, began to glow with a red-hot light.
Tens of seconds later, the brass chains melted and fell off one after another, and the ancient banyan door swung open on its own.
---
Inside the door woven from banyan roots was a dark, narrow, and long corridor leading directly to the underground ruins.
It was pitch dark inside, impossible to see the specifics.
Terence lit several lanterns emitting a white-hot light, distributing one to each person, and the formal exploration of the ruins began.
The White Cup Cult had attempted a preliminary exploration several years prior but had only reached the mid-section, not venturing deeper.
It wasn't for any particular reason; it was simply because this ruin dated from the Order of Dust era, far too distant in time. Therefore, the vast majority of valuable relics had been highly damaged by the wear of time, losing their value for restoration.
After considering the budget, the professors of the History Department chose to shelve the subsequent excavation plan.
After entering the banyan-root door, Terence looked at Albert at the front of the group.
"Mr. Albert, please introduce this old sanctuary of yours."
Although he himself had some information on the Book Repository ruins, it was only a preliminary summary of exploration experience, naturally incomparable to the internal documents of the Children of the Whiskered Tree sect.
Albert pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and then replied.
"The Old Sanctuary is divided into three areas: the outer ruins, the central library, and the core layer. The outer perimeter isn't particularly dangerous. Most of the plants here are non-toxic, but it's not advised to touch them excessively; some types can disrupt a person's sense of time."
"The central library interior has some untriggered ancient rituals, posing a certain potential danger. Just be careful to avoid them."
"So, our target this time is the core layer?"
Elsa followed up with a question.
At the same time, she felt inexplicably curious about why the emissary of the Children of the Whiskered Tree sect looked to be only about sixteen. Oh, and that Secrets-Hunter who handled the reception earlier, he seemed even younger...
Could it be that there's a trend of employing child labor among the secret cults now?
"No."
A flicker of something strange passed through Albert's eyes as he gave a crisp reply.
"The sacred artifact we need to retrieve is located deep within the central library, but still some distance from the core layer. The core layer should not be opened under any circumstances."
"Our only goal is to retrieve the sacred artifact. Any other finds can be distributed among yourselves. We simply hope that after this exploration concludes, your Cult will permanently seal this ruin."
Upon hearing this, Fran felt somewhat intrigued.
After a moment's consideration, she spoke up, with a touch of shyness.
"May I ask... what exactly is inside the core layer?"
She initially thought Albert would evade the question vaguely or simply refuse to answer, but instead, he shook his head with a complicated expression.
"I don't know."
"Originally, this Old Sanctuary was the location of the main lineage of the Children of the Whiskered Tree. The sect I belong to was a former branch lineage, and our documents do not contain records regarding the core layer."
Every aerial root of a banyan has the potential to become a trunk, allowing a single tree to form a forest, and the distribution of the Children of the Whiskered Tree sects follows this principle. When the main lineage perishes for some reason, a branch lineage spontaneously ascends to replace it.
So even the Children of the Whiskered Tree don't know the specifics...
Child narrowed his eyes, feeling somewhat uneasy.
He wasn't exactly afraid of danger, but he couldn't shake a sense of strangeness lingering in his heart. Perhaps it was because the Death card he got from Dr. Fran's divination earlier was too ominous, affecting his mindset somewhat.
Hearing Albert's warning, Elsa immediately heightened her vigilance as well. Fear of the unknown quietly rose, suppressing the excitement in her heart.
At the same time, she still felt a bit strange.
Why did that lady in the black overgarment seem somewhat familiar? Even her voice sounded like she'd heard it somewhere. She shouldn't know anyone from Gormouth...
The doubt flashed by, and Elsa didn't dwell on it too much. She quickly threw herself back into the exploration work, starting to collect flora and fauna samples from the outer ruins.
After all, according to the mission plan, she was only allowed to stay in the outer ruins and could not venture into the central library.
Passing through the corridor woven with banyan roots and various plants, what came into view was a spacious, gray, and dark underground ruin. Crumbled structures were everywhere, turning into weathered fragments with a pinch.
This was why, although this ruin came from the more distant Order of Dust era, the White Cup Cult didn't consider it highly dangerous. Secret rituals would gradually lose their spiritual essence, finely crafted machinery would rust and its gears corrode... the erosion of time was enough to destroy all creations.
However, the plants here were still full of vitality, thriving.
"There's even Dream-Slumber Flowers growing here? I remember they're only distributed in Abyssal Sea climate regions."
Elsa discovered a small cluster of deep purple Dream-Slumber Flowers and, surprised, collected one flower and some seeds.
"Although the Ancient Banyan follows the principle of Chronos, it also contains the spiritual essence of prosperity... The plants here have been nourished by the Cup-phase's spiritual essence. That's why they can survive in such harsh conditions."
Albert offered an explanation.
Though young, his mastery of esoteric knowledge could be described as profound, even surpassing that of academy professors in certain aspects.
Incidentally... this "young" was relative; he was actually in his twenties. Disciples of the Children of the Whiskered Tree, under the influence of the Ancient Banyan system's secret arts, possess trace traits of long-lived species, resulting in slightly delayed development.
Looking at the Dream-Slumber Flowers rooted in the dust of the ruins, a meaningful glint appeared in Fran's amber eyes. But as she gently pushed up the silver-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose, that hint of strangeness vanished.
As she approached, the color of that cluster of Dream-Slumber Flowers seemed to brighten slightly, and one bud even bloomed directly.
"It seems they like you very much, Miss Flamel."
Seeing this, Child laughed heartily, teasing her. This scene also caught Neville's attention, though he quickly figured out the reason.
"Perhaps it's because you carry the scent of the Dream-Slumber Flower's homeland?"
His speculation wasn't without basis. Flowers imbued with spiritual essence, though not yet developing self-awareness, become more perceptive to external influences.
"Perhaps?"
Fran nodded gently, seemingly agreeing with his idea.
In reality, the reason these flowers exhibited this state had little to do with the doctor. It was probably related to Sigrid, currently hanging at her waist...
As a fragment of the Primal Sun, even without radiating light and heat, her mere presence could enhance the condition of plants.
Moreover, this underground ruin was perpetually dim, with only minimal light filtering through the banyan-root-woven ceiling. While other plants could survive by absorbing spiritual essence, their longing for sunlight grew daily.
Hearing Child's words, Elsa, who was observing a specimen, suddenly stiffened, even pausing her hand movements.
Fortunately, she was facing away from the exploration team at that moment, so no one noticed the look of astonishment on her face.
Miss Flamel?
Elsa's eye twitched slightly.
That somewhat shy girl in the team was the Lamp Cult's High Priest "Flamel," who had cured her mental illness?
She compared the lady from her memory who slaughtered the entire Star Chart Research Society in the Mandala Tavern with this bespectacled, shy-looking young girl before her, and suddenly realized their appearances were extremely similar, only their demeanors were completely different.
So that's why she felt familiar...
This suddenly discovered secret filled Elsa with pressure. She didn't know what Flamel's purpose was, but she was well aware of this lady's overwhelming strength... So she bit her lip, trying hard to restore her expression to normal.
"Ah!"
A sudden exclamation rang out. It was Albert.
While walking past a pile of building ruins, his foot slipped. If Haida hadn't reacted quickly and yanked him back, he would have likely fallen directly into a collapsed pit below.
"Whew..." Back in a safe spot, Albert patted his chest lightly, calming his racing heart.
This sudden incident made Terence feel somewhat puzzled.
"You're Children of the Whiskered Tree. Shouldn't you be very familiar with your own sect's Old Sanctuary?"
"We've never actually entered the ruins; our knowledge comes only from documents. Our practical exploration experience might even be less than yours."
Albert retorted somewhat irritably.
"Although we possess structural maps and ritual array layouts of the Old Sanctuary, it's been sealed for millennia. Who knows what happened during that time?"
"Right." Terence accepted this explanation.
The White Cup Cult often had similar experiences; the History Department almost lost researchers in ancient White Cup ancestral ruins every year. The Lost Age was several thousand years ago, and some ancient machinery wasn't yet broken, making it extremely dangerous.
"Don't worry, the library interior won't be so easily damaged. What just happened was purely an accident."
After a moment's hesitation, Albert still thanked Haida for the rescue earlier.
+++
T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL